Netherlands

At a glance

Who it suitsStudents holding A-Levels or the IB who want a European degree at well under British fees, and who can start a year early if their qualification falls short.

Tuition, non-EU

Between €9,000 and €20,000 for most bachelor's; the statutory €2,694 EU rate does not apply to you [1]

Main deadline

1 May at 23:59; 15 January for a numerus fixus programme [8]

Residence permit

€254, and your university applies for it on your behalf [6]

Money you must show

€1,130.77 a month through 2026 [9]

Work during study

16 hours a week, or full-time in June, July and August — you must choose one [6]

Stay and work after

Orientation year: 1 year, €254, and you may work without your employer needing a permit [7]

Which qualification leads where

• A-LevelGood route

  The usual route in. Each programme publishes its own subjects and grades, so read the programme page rather than a university-wide rule.

• IB DiplomaGood route

  Accepted at research universities; again the requirement is set per programme.

• AP and a US high-school diplomaPossible

  Nuffic compares a US high-school diploma to HAVO — one level below the VWO that Dutch research universities admit on. That is why universities ask AP applicants for APs plus SAT or ACT, or a year of university. [10]

• GaokaoHard

  Nuffic compares the Chinese senior secondary diploma to HAVO, not VWO, and does not assess the Gaokao by name. Expect a foundation year or a year of Chinese university first. [11]

• Chinese high-school diploma onlyHard

  One level short of Dutch university entry on Nuffic's own comparison. This is the single most important thing to check before you plan on the Netherlands. [11]

Universities to look at

• University of Amsterdam (UvA) Amsterdam

  Accepts Publishes a separate institutional rate per faculty — the spread across faculties is wider than the spread between universities.

  Tuition a year €13,900 for economics and business, €17,500 for humanities and law, €21,800 for science, €24,150 for computer science (2026-2027, non-EEA)

  Admissions page → [2]

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Check you are eligible at all

• Check your diploma's level first: Nuffic compares a Chinese senior secondary diploma to HAVO, one level below the VWO Dutch universities admit on. [11]
• If you fall short, plan for a foundation year or a year of Chinese university before you apply. [11]
• Check the programme is actually taught in English: only 29% of bachelor's at research universities are. [4]

Apply

• Register through Studielink, the national portal, and then follow the institution's own steps. [5]
• A capped (numerus fixus) programme closes at 23:59 on 15 January, and you may apply to at most two of them in a year. [8]
• Everything else closes at 23:59 on 1 May — but check the institution, which may set an earlier date. [8]
• Apply for the NL Scholarship: €5,000 in the first year, for non-EEA students. Deadlines are set by each institution. [12]

Permit and money

• Hold €1,130.77 a month of living money for the 2026 permit year. [9]
• Your university applies for the residence permit for you; the fee is €254. [6]
• Decide your work pattern before you take a job: 16 hours a week OR full-time in June to August, not both. [6]

Before you fly

• Start looking for a room the day you are admitted: a room costs €450 to €1,000 a month and Dutch student housing is genuinely scarce. [3]
• Budget for a bicycle — it is the normal way to get to class in most Dutch cities.

May 2026 Sep 2027

1. May 2026 16 months before passed

   Check your diploma's level against Nuffic's comparison before anything else. [11]

2. Aug 2026 13 months before passed

   Shortlist English-taught programmes and read each one's entry requirement.

3. Jan 2027 8 months before

   Capped (numerus fixus) programmes close at 23:59 on 15 January. [8]

4. May 2027 4 months before

   All other programmes close at 23:59 on 1 May. [8]

5. Jun 2027 3 months before

   Accept your place; the university starts the residence permit application for you. [6]

6. Jun 2027 3 months before

   Put the required living money in place and hunt hard for a room. [9]

7. Sep 2027 At the start

   Arrive, register with the municipality and open a Dutch bank account.

A year

¥160,000 – ¥320,000

Whole degree

¥480,000 – ¥970,000 over 3 years

Converted to RMB at two significant figures — the rate moves and the ranges are wide. Rate: European Central Bank: euro foreign exchange reference rates, 18 September 2026, checked 2026-09-19.

Tuition, non-EU

€9,000 to €20,000 for most bachelor's nationally; €13,900 to €24,150 across UvA's faculties [1]

Living costs

€1,000 to €1,500 a month: rent €561, groceries €244, transport €67, leisure €239 [3]

A room

€450 to €1,000 a month, and hard to find [3]

Money to show for the permit

€1,130.77 a month through 2026 — a permit test, not a budget [9]

Residence permit

€254, and the same again for the orientation year afterwards [6]

Scholarships and funding

• NL Scholarship [12]

  €5,000, paid in the first year of study only.

  Non-EEA nationals applying for a full-time bachelor's at a participating institution. Each institution sets its own deadline, so check the one you are applying to.

• What the low fee really is [1]

  The €2,694 statutory fee you will see quoted is the EU rate. As a Chinese student you pay the institutional rate, which at UvA runs from €13,900 to €24,150. The Netherlands is cheaper than Britain, not cheap.

Visa

• Your educational institution submits the residence-permit application for you; it costs €254. [6]
• The permit is issued for up to 5 years and runs 3 months longer than your programme. [6]
• You must show €1,130.77 a month of means for the 2026 permit year; the amount changes each January. [9]

Work during and after studies

• You choose one pattern: up to 16 hours a week, or full-time in June, July and August. [6]
• Your employer needs a work permit (TWV) for you, which is their job rather than yours. [6]
• After graduating, the orientation year gives you 1 year in which you may work freely and your employer needs no permit. It costs €254 and you may apply within 3 years of the award. [7]

When you arrive

• Register with your municipality soon after you arrive; almost everything else depends on it.
• Open a Dutch bank account — many everyday payments will not take a foreign card.
• Buy a second-hand bicycle in the first week.

Common mistakes

• The €2,694 figure everyone quotes is the EU statutory fee. You will pay the institutional rate, which is several times that. [1]
• "Everything is taught in English" is not true at bachelor's level: 29% of research-university bachelor's are in English, against 76% of master's. [4]
• A capped programme's 15 January deadline is four and a half months before everything else, and you may enter at most two such programmes a year. [8]
• Student housing is genuinely short. Start looking the day you are admitted, not in August. [3]

Sources

1. Study in NL: tuition fees checked 2026-09-19
2. University of Amsterdam: tuition fees 2026-2027 checked 2026-09-19
3. Study in NL: daily student expenses and cost of living checked 2026-09-19
4. Nuffic: international students in Dutch higher education, factsheet checked 2026-09-19
5. Study in NL: how to apply checked 2026-09-19
6. Dutch IND: student residence permit checked 2026-09-19
7. Dutch IND: residence permit for the orientation year checked 2026-09-19
8. Studielink: application deadlines checked 2026-09-19
9. Dutch IND: required amounts checked 2026-09-19
10. Nuffic: the level of US diplomas in the Dutch system checked 2026-09-19
11. Nuffic: the level of Chinese diplomas in the Dutch system checked 2026-09-19
12. Study in NL: the NL Scholarship checked 2026-09-19

Rules and fees change. Everything here was checked against the official pages on the date shown. Confirm on those pages before you apply or pay.